Murda Mook vs DNA: Is Everyone Too Hard on DNA? (Pause)

This was brought up on RM and in the screening and I'm starting to think it's pretty on-point. In these two battles Mook and DNA are about the same age, 18. Even though it's two different eras of acapella battling, they're both kind of looked at as prodigies. The difference is DNA has a little bit more footage (Mook has like 10 and DNA seems to have like twice that between GT, Smack and Time is Money) and is as disliked as he is liked. Mook on the other hand seems to have found his way into the "legend" category by 26 or so.

Why is that? Are they far apart in skill level? Mook arguably lost almost every filmed battle except Yung Hot and Weeze and DNA arguably lost the majority of his Smack battles, too. But Mook had potential and eventually spazzed on Yung Hot. People recognized that, I remember. What about DNA, though? Are we too hard on the kid and forget he's getting better and better? Is it fan bias off some extra shit that has nothing to with his rhymes? Or is he legitimately as bad as a lot of people, me formerly being one of them, feel?

I always liked DNA, even though he beat Rone who is one my favorites. When his Big T battle came out everyone was hating on him so much for his performance, which I didn't think was that bad. I don't think he beat Big T, but it certainly wasn't a bodybag. I think alot of the hate was generated from his Redbull performance when he dropped the mic and walked out, cause no matter who you are thats some bitch shit. That combined with how he handled the whole Diz situation has caused alot of animosity towards DNA. But I think he is one of the better battles in the scene, and could beat most people

He's solidified his spot, and he's had some excellent battles/performances. Pretty impressive for his age, I think. He lacks "grown man" bars, but he can be creative at times. Some of that forced wordplay is just terrible, though.

IMO: On Smack, he beat Surf, Oun P (ain't no "arguably" there, he beat Oun P clear as day lol) but lost to Big T and it sounds like he lost to Yung Ill.

Because Mook is looked at as one of the people who really ushered in this current generation of battling. Mook also didn't have as many(any?) events go down to sort of tarnish his name(Redbull, the Diz shit, refusing to battle Quest @ MOB, losing to Lil Farnum, etc).

I'll add this, tho. DNA gets ghost-writer accusations and I've never heard any for Mook. People say Clips, and according to Chops:

...conceited wrote for dna in his battle with rone

it aint even a secret on twitter

qp was the first to spill it

when him and dna were beefin on twitter qp said to him 'how u gon diss my crew when a sons member wrote for you against rone'

and watch the battle keeping in mind its prob conceited and con's reactions tell the story

YouTube - Grind Time Presents: DNA vs Rone Pt. 1

^5:05

after that bar dna says 'i bring techs to..." but gets cut off by the crowd

con tells him he missed a line at 5:13 and when the crowd settle down at 5:25 dna says 'plus all of ya men fake/dude who cant write rolled into penn state' and then at 5:30 he finishes his 'i bring techs to...' line

Murda Mook has an argument that he has won all of his battles and there's also an argument that he lost most of them and the same applies to DNA, both were disliked because things not having to do with their rapping abilities and yes people are too tough on DNA. When I think of my former self at 17 to 20 years old, I made a lot of dumb mistakes as well, only difference between me and DNA was that there wasn't a public spotlight on me like there is with DNA and with Mook when he was that age.

Let me fill u in... no we r not to hard on dna cause he is from the new era... mook is from the fight klub lions den era where they are all overrated... why do u think mook, solomon, etc don't battle anymore? Wut u think its cause they're gettin money in music lmfao... nah its that they aren't good in 2days terms n they kno it... if mook battled dna right now there's a good chance he would lose.... if solomon battled aye verb he would lose... etc............ those guys were only good compared to who was battling at the time... that's why everyone now wants to battle them.... cause they know they will win

Let me fill u in... no we r not to hard on dna cause he is from the new era... mook is from the fight klub lions den era where they are all overrated... why do u think mook, solomon, etc don't battle anymore? Wut u think its cause they're gettin money in music lmfao... nah its that they aren't good in 2days terms n they kno it... if mook battled dna right now there's a good chance he would lose.... if solomon battled aye verb he would lose... etc............ those guys were only good compared to who was battling at the time... that's why everyone now wants to battle them.... cause they know they will win

I dont disagree with this but Verb vs Mook would be classic
And Verb has faced Hollow, Marvwon, Yung Miles, Math Hoffa. Pretty Impressive
but Mook has battled Lux and Millz. Both have impressive resumes.

Murda Mook has an argument that he has won all of his battles and there's also an argument that he lost most of them and the same applies to DNA, both were disliked because things not having to do with their rapping abilities and yes people are too tough on DNA. When I think of my former self at 17 to 20 years old, I made a lot of dumb mistakes as well, only difference between me and DNA was that there wasn't a public spotlight on me like there is with DNA and with Mook when he was that age.

Yeah, I don't think it's an issue of talent or latent potential, things this kid has in spades, it's more of some of the shit he's pulled outside of that ring. The several last minute no-shows, the abrupt and dramatic quitting at the Red Bull tourney, the Dizaster situation. Whether people realize it or not, it affects us, and it colors our judgment of DNA's battles, fair or not. The way an emcee is perceived doesn't just derive from the performances onstage, it's everything. Though they're not "superstars," battlers are in the public eye to a certain extent, so they're held to a different standard. Guys like Hollow are so revered because they're stand-up dudes off of that camera and outside of that ring. Even Dizaster is starting to realize this, as he has publicly acknowledged that he'd cut down on his Twitter tirades as they are detrimental to him.

But as far as battling goes, DNA's good. He hasn't reached his peak, but he's making progress. I think he has problems with image and respect from many fans and some of his peers, and on Twitter he comes off as a little...strange and thirsty for attention. He needs to work on those aspects though. People may not think it has an impact, but it does.

^tbh mook was the battle rap punching bag... he lost every match he was ever in... then beat young hot (basically the nuborn of back then) and quit.... mook would lose to math hoffa, aye verb, cortez, hitman, yung ill, hollow da don, goodz, etc......... the list goes on... he simply just wasn't that good... plus all he did was spit random bars.... these new battlers get in niggas asses...(I'm straight so I ain't gotta say pause).... the only dudes from back then good enough to compete are jones n lux... who both pimp slapped mook around

Mook knows this to... that's why he won't come back.... even though he wishes he could...

DNA doesn't just say corny bars "here & there" tbh. He says corny bars the majority of his battles with exceptional lines "here & there" but they are very few. Now, as much as I hate Mook (don't think his style/lines back then measures up to the current), to compare him to DNA is pretty much an insult. Mook's lines didn't seem as forced as DNA's are.

I will say this though. In his grindtime battles, I see a glimpse of what DNA could be but then I watch his URL performances and it's very hard on my ears. So, I don't know if it's the format, the crowd, or what but he need to pull his shit together *Young Miles Voice*

Mook was known for the wordplay in a time when many people in the Smack scene weren't as heavy with the wordplay. He basically paved the way for people with a style like DNA has and DNA was basically took the wordplay out to the extent that Conceited got recognized for at the time.

I think that a lot of the DNA hate has been unfair but it's been like almost everyone that get's overhyped beyond their capabilities. He was highly regarded for being dope and being young but eventually he's not going to live up to the expectations people set for him and either they turn on him or his detractors come out of the woodwork to proclaim his downfall as soon as he starts slipping.

He's got some growing up to do as a person too and I think people tend to be harsher on him for how he acts outside of battling as well. I think his skill set is impressive. He can write, he can freestyle, and he can perform. He's got memorable characteristics, he's still young, if he continues doing what he's doing in a few years he will most definitely mentioned among the elite but at this point, he still has a lot of potential that the just hasn't capitalized on and he has many of the elements to be one of the best but he's hasn't pulled them all together into a complete enough package.

Plus he's not consistent enough and when Mook was getting known on Smack, the talent pool wasn't as deep. There are from different eras, the rules have changed, the whole environment has changed, the fans have changed, as well as their expectations. Fans are just as fickle as ever though so I guess the abundance of hate is to be expected.

^tbh mook was the battle rap punching bag... he lost every match he was ever in... then beat young hot (basically the nuborn of back then) and quit.... mook would lose to math hoffa, aye verb, cortez, hitman, yung ill, hollow da don, goodz, etc......... the list goes on... he simply just wasn't that good... plus all he did was spit random bars.... these new battlers get in niggas asses...(I'm straight so I ain't gotta say pause).... the only dudes from back then good enough to compete are jones n lux... who both pimp slapped mook around

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Bullshit, Mook has argument that he has won all of his battles, the only one I thought he lost was Jae Millz, people just don't like him so they refuse to see things his way, Murda Mook 3rd round verse against Lux shits on anything those cats you mentioned have ever spit and that includes Verb 2nd against Hollow and Math 3rd against Rex. Mook has never had a wack performance like Verb did against Big Will. Hollow,Hitman,Yung Ill, Math,Cortez would not look good against Mook comp which really was the creme de la creme of battle rap.